Process of preparing flax.



euonenna. cmrBELL, or oatonTo. our-Ame, serum.

rnocrzss or PREPARING: rLAx'.

R0 Drawing.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914;.

Application filed March 11', 1910. Serial 11.0. 548,700.

To all whom it'may concern:

Be it known that I', GEORGE H. CAMPBELL, acitizen of Canada, and a resident of Toronto, in the county of York and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Preparing Flax, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the preparation of flax for the various purposes of the textile industry, and has in view a quicker and more economical treatment, and which will produce a'greater yield than previously existing processes, v reference being had to the following specification and claims.

In carrying out this process, flax stalks or straw, in a dry state, are passed through a breaking machine, which removes the larger of these various operations,

portion of the various incrusting matters or shives, the diminution in weight of the straw treated being about forty-five (45) per cent. of the total original weight. g 7

To render the stalks sufficiently dry, they may be either air dried, or dried by the application of heat, the stalks being for this purpose placed on suitable shelves or frames, below which are placed pipes through which passes hot water or steam heated to a moderate temperature. I

After the stalks have been passed through the breaking machine, which may be of any ordinary and well-known kind, they will still contain a considerable proportionof gummy, ligneous and other incrusting matters. For most uses the fiber requires further treatment to remove the larger portion or all of the shive material adhering to the fiber. This is done by a process of water retting, which will now be described and which may be applied either immediately after the stalks come from the breaking machine, or after the fiber has been subjected to the various usual operations of scutching, hackling, spinning, and weaving. In each tending to convert the broken stalks into yarn or cloth, the material progressively loses a certain amount of adhering incrusting material or shives but not all. To remove the remainder the fiber is subjected to a process of retting. There are several methods of water retting, the process of water retting being here described in connection with the previous operation of breaking.

By breaking the fiber before retting, the

all as now will be explained,-

water will act more quickly and thoroughly upon the gummy, ligneous, and other incrusting material attached to the fiber. The

action of the Water may be hastened by the addltion of certain chemicals or fermenting agents, or both, to the water used. The operatlon is then performed as in the ordinary process ofwater retting in which the unbroken stalks are immersed in the retting Water. By the preliminary removal of the larger portion of the shives the process of retting is not only hastened but the fiber produced is lighter in color than that obtained by the ordinary water retting process. The action of the retting liquid may also be facilitated by keeping the flax or the liquid used in motion, which may be done by raising or lowering the flax in the containing vessel, or by blowingair through the liquid. The air 1n]ected has also the advantage of I assisting chemically in the process of retting or of fermentation, of putrefactive and other forms.

The water retting, with chemical, or "fer ments, or both, added to the retting water, although in many respects resembling chemical retting, is nevertheless practically distinguishable therefrom, bythe small percentage of the ingredients added and by the comparatively long time during which the process is carried on and principally by the Of the chemicals which may be added in .very small proportions may be mentioned :fact that the main action is bacteriological.

the alkaline carbonates, bicarbonates and' ammonia. The ferments added may be either in the form of retting liquorfrom a previous operation in a desired amount, or a ferment obtained by special culture. To still further hasten and facilitate the fermentative or retting action, a food for theferments may be added, such as cotton seed meal, linseed meal, bran or flour.

By the breaking of thedry stalks previous to retting, the greater portion of-the shives is eliminated at once, whereby the subsequent work to be done in the line of removal of shives or incrusting matter is diminished to that extent, and the subsequent step of retting is very materially facilitated and shortened. Not only that, but the material will also be lighter in color than when ordinary water retting without previous breaka ing is used.

The fact that the retting period is shortened has also the advantage of a very considcrable increase in the yield of flax. In the ordinary process of water retting the yield of commercial flax is only about ten per cent. of the original weight of the stalks used, while by this process the yield is increased up to fifteen per cent. or higher, even as high as twenty-five per cent. On account of the diminution in the time and quantity of putrefactive fermentation to which the flax is subjected the fiber will suffer less diminution in tensile strength than by the old process of treatment.

After the retting is completed the material is dried at a low heat and subjected to suitable mechanical manipulation to remove the loosened shive material. For this purpose the flax may be passed through a suitable breaking machine, preferably one having much finer grooves or teeth than were used in the original breaking of the unretted flax stalks. In place of removing the shive material loosened through the operation of retting by passing the retted flax through a breaking machine as stated, this loosened material may also be removed by means of scutching or beating machines, or by subjecting the flax to the action of other forms of machines, or to manual shive removing operations.

The Water retting here described, with or Without the addition of chemicals, ferments or foods, is preferably carried on at 0rdi-- nary temperatures. Under the terms of ferment and food, are not included the small and adventitious quantities that may be found in the water or imperfectly cleaned containing vessels, but ferment, or food, or

both, which has been separately added to the retting water in suitable proportions.

What I claim as new is:

1. In the art of preparing improvement which consists in drying and breaking flax stalks, and retting the broken material in an aqueous solution having an alkaline reaction.

2. In the art of preparing linen fibers, the improvement which consists in drying and breaking flax stalks, and retting the broken material in an aqueous liquid containing an added ferment.

3. In the art of preparing linen fibers, the improvement which consists in drying and breaking flax stalks, and retting the broken material in an alkaline solution containing an added ferment.

4. In the art of improvement which consists in drying and breaking flax stalks, and retting the broken material in aqueous solution containing an added ferment and an added food for the ferment.

5. In the art of preparing linen fibers, the improvement which consists in drying and breaking flax stalks, and retting the broken material in an aqueous liquid and agitating the material during the operation.

6. In the art of preparing linen fibers, the improvement which consists in drying and linen fibers, the

breaking flax stalks and retting the broken material in an aqueous liquid and passing air through the liquid during the operation. Signed at New York in the county of, New York and State of N. Y., this 18th day of May, A. D. 1909.

GEORGE H. CAMPBELL. Witnesses:

C. A. 0. Roman, MABELLE A. DAVIS.

preparing linen fibers,-the 

